Farmers in Muong Bu commune are harvesting apples.

Changing the mindset in production

The family of Mr. Lo Van Tieng, from Chon village, Muong Bu commune, had been involved in corn cultivation for many years. Farming on sloping land, they could only grow one crop per year, resulting in low yields and unstable income. This was also the common situation for many households in the area, as production mainly served self-sufficiency and was heavily dependent on weather conditions. To improve their income, in 2018, Mr. Tieng's family boldly converted over 3 hectares of corn fields to growing large apples, following the local government's guidelines.

Mr. Tiếng shared: "Initially, my family was hesitant because fruit trees take several years to bear fruit. But with technical guidance from officials, my family decided to switch and care for the trees according to proper technical procedures. The large apple trees have brought much higher economic efficiency compared to growing corn before. In the last four years, our apple orchard has had a stable yield of about 75 tons of fruit, with an average selling price of 20,000-30,000 VND/kg, resulting in an annual income of approximately 1.5 billion VND."

Not only in Muong Bu, but many localities in the province have formed concentrated fruit-growing areas. In Chieng Mung commune, the hillsides that were previously planted with corn and cassava are now covered with mangoes, longan, and pomelos. The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, one of the leading households in developing grafted longan on the Na San plateau, is a clear example of the effectiveness of crop conversion.

Farmers in Chiềng Khoong commune are investing in automatic sprinkler irrigation systems for their longan orchards.

According to Mr. Phong, before grafting, the local longan variety had low yield and selling price. After grafting with high-yield, high-quality varieties, from the second year onwards, each hectare of longan trees produced 20-25 tons, with a much higher selling price than before. As a result, income from longan cultivation increased significantly, creating motivation for people to expand their area and invest in intensive farming.

During the period 2021-2025, the entire province reviewed and converted over 33,189 hectares of low-economic-efficiency crop land to fruit tree cultivation; of which, over 30,000 hectares were converted from corn cultivation, and the remainder from cassava. From the policy of planting fruit trees on sloping land, Son La has gradually formed concentrated production areas linked to the advantages of each locality, making fruit trees, coffee, and tea key agricultural products, creating added value and stable income for farmers.

Along with expanding cultivated areas and improving quality, Son La's agricultural products are increasingly asserting their position in the market. Many key products, such as mangoes, longan, bananas, plums, and coffee, have been granted planting area codes and packaging facility codes, meeting requirements for traceability and food safety; gradually expanding domestic and export markets.

Production of goods is linked to the market.

Crop diversification has significantly changed agricultural production methods in many localities. Previously, production was primarily based on experience, fragmented, and individualistic; now, many households are accustomed to producing according to technical procedures, meeting quality standards and market demands.

The fruit tree cultivation model of farmers in Chiềng Khương commune..

Along with the proactive efforts of the people, the guiding and supportive role of all levels and sectors is becoming increasingly evident. A major turning point for Son La's agriculture was when the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Conclusion No. 121-TB/TU on November 30, 2015, on planting fruit trees on sloping land, opening up a new direction in transforming the crop structure, exploiting the advantages of each region, and gradually forming an agricultural economic mindset to replace traditional production methods.

Subsequently, on January 21, 2020, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 08-NQ/TU on the development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in a focused, sustainable manner, applying high technology, and Resolution No. 06-NQ/TU on the development of agricultural product processing industry. Based on these resolutions, Son La province has focused on attracting businesses to invest in the preliminary processing and processing of agricultural products, gradually forming a linked chain from production to consumption.

The establishment of deep processing facilities contributes to increasing added value, extending the shelf life of products, and reducing pressure on the consumption of fresh agricultural products during peak season. Many businesses and cooperatives have invested in factories and processing facilities for key products such as mangoes, longan, bananas, coffee, and tea, gradually diversifying products to meet the requirements of both domestic and export markets.

Alongside the development of the processing industry, many localities are adjusting their crop structure and production seasons to adapt to the market. In Chieng Khoong commune, instead of planting longan on a large scale, 110 households in Hong Nam village focus on cultivating longan trees to ripen early, helping to reduce pressure on consumption during the main season and creating a competitive advantage in the market. Currently, the village has 60 hectares of early-ripening longan, with an average yield of 8.5 tons/ha, generating a total income of nearly 18 billion VND per year, averaging over 160 million VND per household.

Mr. Dao Manh Hong, Party Secretary and Head of Hong Nam village, said: In addition to developing an early-ripening longan raw material area, the village has also established a longan processing craft village with more than 50 households participating in making dried longan, consuming over 3,000 tons of fresh fruit annually. The formation of the craft village has created more jobs, increased income for the people, contributed to building the brand, and expanded the market.

In addition, many coffee and fruit growing areas in the province have been converted to organic production, applying water-saving irrigation methods to reduce input costs. The application of science and technology has improved economic efficiency, creating conditions for agricultural products to meet export standards and expand consumer markets.

Changes in production methods and restructuring have created an important foundation for Son La's agriculture to maintain stable growth and increase added value. Agriculture continues to affirm its role as the backbone of the province's economy, with an average growth rate of 3.65% per year over the past five years; specifically, it is projected to reach 6.76% by 2025. The value of harvest per hectare of cultivated land reached 73 million VND, an increase of 20% compared to 2021; the value of agricultural products participating in exports reached 208 million USD, an increase of 38.6% compared to 2021 and accounting for 97% of the total export value of the province. By 2025, the province will have 91,185 hectares of industrial crops and 85,050 hectares of fruit trees, with an estimated fruit production of 510,000 tons, an increase of 30% compared to 2021.

Mr. Vu Tien Dinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, affirmed: The key point in the transformation process is reorganizing production towards market linkages and processing. When people participate in the value chain, they are forced to change their mindset, doing agriculture according to market demand, meeting the increasingly high demands of consumers.

Converting inefficient crop areas has contributed to changing the face of rural areas and creating a foundation for sustainable commercial agricultural development. The lush fruit orchards on the slopes today are providing stable livelihoods for the people, gradually bringing Son La's agricultural products to a wider market, affirming the province's appropriate direction in agricultural development.

Nguyen Yen